Aptera solar EV will be first to get Openpilot driver-assist tech

Aptera announces Openpilot integrationAptera will integrate the Openpilot driver-assistance system with its electric three-wheeler, giving the vehicle, which is classified as an autocycle, tech similar to passenger cars. Openpilot will add adaptive cruise control, lane centering, and forward-collision warnings, along with a driver monitoring system that ensures drivers will remain...

Hyundai robot could ease EV charging, tackle mobility barriers

Hyundai charging robotHyundai believes automated charging robots could help make EV charging easier and more accessible. The automaker on Tuesday released a short video showing its prototype robot charging an Ioniq 6 sedan. Hyundai showed the design of the robot in a computer-generated video last year, but this time it's showing a working version that's been undergoing...

Optimized air suspension could aid EV range, protect batteries

Hyundai Mobis air suspension systemHyundai claims a new air suspension system will have many benefits for EVs, from maximizing range to protecting battery packs from damage. The system was developed by Hyundai Mobis, the automaker's mobility-tech supplier, which previously demonstrated a hardware set called "e-corner" that lets vehicles turn on a dime. Air suspension isn't as...

Here are the EVs and plug-in hybrids with top IIHS safety ratings

2023 Top Safety Pick awards by the IIHSDespite more stringent standards, a number of electric cars and plug-in hybrids were recognized with Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick awards for 2023. The IIHS strengthened requirements in a number of areas in 2023, and as a result only 48 models received awards, compared to 65 for 2022 (including eight EVs). Of that...

Rivian looked to nature for the sounds in its R1T and R1S

2023 Rivian R1TEVs are by nature far quieter, so more thought needs to go into the sounds they make when doing routine things. Rivian saw this as an opportunity to reinforce the outdoorsy branding of its R1T electric pickup truck and R1S electric SUV, choosing sounds inspired by nature. Even without an internal-combustion engine, cars make lots of sounds. From...

Does Toyota CEO change signal it’s going all-in on EVs?

Gill Pratt at World Economic Forum, DavosA leadership change at Toyota doesn't seem to have changed the automaker's EV strategy. Akio Toyoda recently announced a step over to chairman after 14 years as CEO of the automaker founded by his grandfather, with Koji Sato anointed as the next Toyota CEO. But the automaker's stance on EVs—that they're not the only solution to addressing...

Tesla heat pump detailed, gives a boost to winter EV range

Tesla Model Y with heat pumpTesla last week outlined some of the details that distinguish its heat pump system that’s now included throughout its vehicle lineup. The electric vehicle maker claims that its design performs well in very cold weather, where other heat pumps fall short. Depending on the exact situation, Tesla claims, its cars might be using as little as a...

Ram Charger inductive charging robot: How it will work for Ram EV

Robotic inductive Ram Charger for future Ram EVThe first widely available factory original wireless charger in the U.S. might arrive not from Tesla or one of the Chinese EV makers, but from Stellantis. As it revealed its Ram electric truck concept last week, Ram gave a future inductive charging robot center stage. “We know from our Real Talk tour that our customers aren’t just...

Hyundai Ioniq 5 with e-corner tech turns on a dime

Hyundai Ioniq 5 with e-corner modulesAn electric powertrain allows for a lot more possibilities for improving low-speed maneuverability, as Hyundai recently demonstrated. The automaker's Hyundai Mobis mobility-tech division has developed a hardware set called "e-corner" that allows a vehicle's individual wheels to rotate up to 90 degrees. The system was first shown in 2021, and the...

Rivian R1T crash-tested by IIHS, earns top safety distinction

2022 Rivian R1T IIHS crash testingThe Rivian R1T is the first electric pickup truck ever run through the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) testing regimen—and it received high marks. The IIHS announced on Friday that the R1T had earned its highest Top Safety Pick+ safety award. The award, which applies to 2022 and 2023 R1T models, encompasses crash-test scores...